Honduras SHG Mezcla - Jose Alexis Mejia (2019)

This is a washed SHG grade microlot from producer Jose Alexis Mejia's farm Finca Mejia in the Montecillos region of south-west Honduras. This lot was produced as part of a collaborative project with Beneficio San Vincente. Read more about this project in our blog post, “New, Different, Exciting: Microlot Separation and Prep in Honduras.”

THE PRODUCER

Jose Alexis Mejia Hernandez is a small farmer from the community of Las Quebradas, Santa Barbara department. Jose started out as a merchant, but in 2005 a chance opportunity allowed him to by 0.8ha of land which he planted with coffee. 4 years later he bought a further 0.78ha of land already planted with coffee of the Bourbon variety. For many years Jose was dissatisfied with his farms; the quality was low and the prices unsustainable. But last year, Jose's friend pointed out that his farm had excellent potential to produce specialty coffee and that with some changes to his processing, he could make dramatic changes to both the quality and price for his product. With the support & knowledge of Beneficio San Vincente Jose was able to begin his specialty coffee journey with this very special microlot.

Finca Mejia is situated at 1,350masl and includes the varieties of Bourbon (40%), Pacas, Ihrcafe 90, San Ramon and Parainema. This lot is of mixed varietal. Jose minimizes pesticide use and uses very few chemical fertilizers on his farm, preferring a more natural approach.

THE PROCESS

Ripe coffee cherries are pulped on the day of harvest. There the coffee is dry fermented in polyethylene bags for around 17 hours (depending on ambient conditions) to break down the fruity mucilage. The coffee is then washed 3 times using fresh water. After washing the coffee is transferred to a sheltered solar dryer/greenhouse where it dries for an average of 7-10 days.

THE REGION

This coffee comes from the village of Las Quebradas on Santa Barbara Mountain, a mountainous massif with an area of 121.3 km2 and a maximum height of 2750 meters above sea level, which is mostly a virgin forest reserve declared as a national park since 1987.

Most of the native people of the area began to grow coffee since the 1940s, mainly in the lower areas, although it was always a secondary crop. From the 1970s, coffee became the main crop in the area, promoted by the rise in prices at that time, with Bourbon being the most widespread varieties. Since then coffee has become the basis of the local economy for these communities, as well as an important cultural element.

The Montecillos region is notable for its high altitude and subsequently cool temperatures, which allow coffee cherries to mature slowly and develop increased complexity in the cup.